Tinder to charge over-28s more

2 March 2015 Last updated at 21:28 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Tinder has announced it is adding much anticipated premium features to its dating app, including the ability to reconsider rejected profiles.

In a surprise move, it announced the pay-to-use add-ons would cost more for older people to use.

In the UK, people over the age of 28 years old face paying nearly four times the price of their younger counterparts. In the US, the over-30s have to pay double the basic rate.

One expert said the move was "sleazy".

But Tinder has defended its business plan, saying its rates were based on "extensive" tests.

"We've priced Tinder Plus based on a combination of factors, including what we've learned through our testing, and we've found that these price points were adopted very well by certain age demographics," said a spokeswoman.

"Lots of products offer differentiated price tiers by age, like Spotify does for students, for example.

"Tinder is no different; during our testing we've learned, not surprisingly, that younger users are just as excited about Tinder Plus, but are more budget constrained and need a lower price to pull the trigger."

UK users face a £3.99 monthly fee for the service if they are aged between 18 and 27, and £14.99 a month if they are aged 28 and above.

In the US, the corresponding figures are $9.99 (£6.50) and $19.99 (£13).

Tinder added that members in emerging economies would be charged an average of $2.99 a month for the premium features.

Swipe to reject

Tinder has become one of the most popular dating services since its launch in 2012.

The smartphone app uses its members' Facebook profiles to source photos and show basic information about them.

Members then swipe to the right to pick someone they would like to date or swipe to the left to reject a profile.

Users can only send messages to each other if they have each picked the other party.

Until now, there were no charges to use the app.

But a common complaint was that an accidental swipe in the wrong direction could thwart a potential match and there was no way to undo this. The Rewind feature now provides a solution.

In addition, the premium service has also added a facility called Passport.

This allows users to search for singles in a different city from where they are based, letting them set up dates for holidays, business trips or other travel in advance.

'Creating a barrier'

The matchmaking industry generated $2.2bn in sales in the US alone in 2014, representing 4.8% growth since 2009, according to a study by the Ibisworld research group.

Tinder is majority-owned by the US media company InterActiveCorp, which also owns the paid subscription dating services OKCupid, Meetic and Match.com.

Company watchers had always assumed that Tinder would start charging fees at some point, not least because its computer server bills are mounting.

But one tech venture capitalist was surprised by the model the firm had chosen to adopt.

"It's true that Microsoft, for example, sells its Office software to university students for considerably less than it sells it to corporations - and it justifies that on an ability to pay," said entrepreneur Paul Kedrosky, who writes the Infectious Greed blog.

"But that seems highly unlikely to be the same case here.

"It seems more likely it's a way to get the [younger] demographic that Tinder wants on the service, and using price as a way to create a barrier to others.

"I just think it's - for want of a better word - sleazy."

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VIDEO: Pebble launches smart straps scheme

Smartwatch pioneer Pebble is launching a programme for third-party developers to make sensor-equipped straps for its latest devices.

It has released a series of 3D printer files that will allow the designers to create prototype "smart straps" that feed data to its forthcoming Pebble Time watches, expanding their range of functions.

Pebble's chief executive Eric Migicovsky said smart straps had the potential to make his products the best fitness trackers in the world by adding heart rate monitors, GPS location chips, extra batteries and other sensors as they became available, as well as unleashing other possibilities.

The Silicon Valley-based start-up's move has been praised by the tech press.

"It's a brilliant idea because it allows a small company like Pebble to stay relevant for longer without having to invest a lot of money to keep up with everyone else," commented Stuart Miles, founder of the Pocket-lint gadget site.

Pebble Time - which features a colour e-paper display - has already attracted over $12m (£7.8m) in pledges from more than 54,500 backers on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter.

Pebble unveiled a premium steel edition of the timepiece at the Mobile World Congress trade fair to help attract fresh interest.

The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones met with Mr Migicovsky in Barcelona, and asked if he feared Apple's entry into the smartwatch market in April.

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Samsung S6 phone has curved screen

1 March 2015 Last updated at 17:31 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

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WATCH: The S6 Edge is designed to have a more premium feel than the S5

Samsung will sell two versions of its next flagship phone, one of which has a screen that curves round its sides.

The Galaxy S6 Edge uses the feature to provide a quick way to stay in touch with select contacts, and to alert owners to important information.

It will be sold for a higher price than the standard S6, which otherwise has the same specifications.

Samsung lost market share to Apple and others after the S5 sold fewer copies than its predecessor in many countries.

Its replacements were unveiled in Barcelona, ahead of the start of Mobile World Congress. They go on sale on 10 April in 20 countries, including the UK.

Metal frame

The South Korean firm said it had set out to address past "missteps", and had codenamed the devices "project zero" to reflect the need for a rethink.

Changes include making the TouchWiz user interface simpler to use by cutting the number of pop-up messages and introducing a metal frame and glass back instead of the plastic styling of earlier models.

The redesign has, however, meant some features have had to be jettisoned: the phones are not water-resistant, they do not have a microSD slot for extra storage and their backs cannot be removed to change their batteries.

Even so, one expert praised the company's choices.

"Samsung has clearly listened to feedback - not just for the Galaxy S5, which just missed the mark last year costing the company greatly - but also the S4, which was a product that tried to cram in every piece of technology it could find," said Ben Wood, head of research at the CCS Insight tech consultancy.

"The software has been made into a much more crisp and clear experience, the design of the product has clean lines and looks very nice, and the marketing campaign is expected to only pinpoint three things - and that's certainly something that had been missing from Samsung's products for quite some time."

Others were more critical. Rob Kerr, from the price comparison site uswitch.com, declared: "The dual-curved display just seems too gimmicky, too niche, to really be a crowd pleaser."

Coloured contacts

The three topics Samsung is focusing on are:

• Revamped designs, including the premium model's curved screen
• Camera upgrades
• In-built support for wireless charging, with support for two rival standards

The S6 Edge uses its curves to provide a couple of services.

The first is called People Edge, which provides a quick way to bring up calls, texts and other messages from five acquaintances of the owner's choosing. Each person is assigned a different colour, which the phone's edge flashes when it rings, providing a hint of the caller's identity even if the device is face down.

The second is Information Stream, which displays the time, weather and selected notifications on the curved part.

It appears Samsung has deliberately kept the functionality more basic than on its Galaxy Note Edge - a larger handset whose screen curves only around one of its sides. The older phone uses the extra space to both run apps of its its own and to add controls to other apps.

The S6 phone's front camera has been upgraded to five megapixels, while the rear one stays at 16MP.

Both gain from a wider aperture, which should improve their ability to take photos and videos in low light conditions.

Samsung has also taken steps to make the camera quicker to use, saying it now takes less than a second to double tap the home key and snap a shot.

The firm is claiming a "world first" by embedding support for both the PMA and WPC's Qi wireless charging standards.

The Android-powered handsets are also faster to recharge, and should return to 50% battery strength within half an hour of being plugged in.

Samsung said that this was half the time it would take to charge an iPhone 6.

Other improvements over the S5 include:

• Increased screen resolution - now 577 pixels per inch - and the ability to go 20% brighter
• A new 14 nanometre processor designed by Samsung, rather than bought from Qualcomm, that should be more energy efficient
• The addition of Samsung Pay, a smart wallet service that allows the handsets to act as a credit or debit card when tapped against a shop's NFC chip reader or used to transmit magnetic stripe data. It will initially be limited to the US and South Korea

The firm also revealed it had developed a new version of its Gear VR virtual reality kit that uses the S6 models as a screen.

Market share down

A lot is resting on the phones' appeal.

Samsung's head of mobile design was moved from his role in May after criticism of the Galaxy S5's styling, and last week Samsung Electronics announced it would freeze its workers' wages for the first time in six years following a drop in its annual profits.

Samsung is still the best-selling smartphone maker.

But it barely saw its total smartphone shipments grow in 2014. By contrast, Apple's decision to make its iPhone 6 models larger and the continued rise of China's Xiaomi, Lenovo and Huawei saw those firms report much bigger gains.

Continue reading the main story

INTERACTIVE

• ×

  Samsung's first Android-powered phone ran version 1.5 (Cupcake) of Google's mobile operating system.

  It had a 3.2in (8.1cm) screen and was the first Android phone to include a 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing normal headphones to be easily connected.

• ×

  The first of Samsung's S-branded series had a 4in (10.2cm) screen, ran Android 2.1 (Eclair) and could shoot video in 720p high definition.

  A 4G variant of the device attracted the ire of Apple's lawyers, and became part of a high-profile patent case fought by the two rivals.

• ×

  The S2 was marketed as the world's thinnest smartphone, measuring less than 8.5mm (0.33in) thick.

  It had a 4.3in (10.9cm) screen and was powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

  Samsung promoted the "zero lag" shutter speed of its main camera as being suitable for snapping fast-moving objects.

• ×

  The S3 used eye-tracking software to detect when it was being looked at, keeping its screen bright until its owner turned away.

  It had a 4.8in (12.cm) screen and ran Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

  The phone also introduced S-Beam, a way to send files and contacts between Samsung handsets.

• ×

  The S4 bordered on "phablet" status with a 5in (12.7cm) touchscreen, which could be used while wearing gloves.

  Running Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) it introduced a dual-video capture mode, allowing users to record footage from both cameras simultaneously.

• ×

  The S5 added dust and water resistance, promising to work after being submerged 3ft (0.9m) deep.

  It came pre-installed with Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) and introduced a fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor.

  Samsung promoted its "ultra power saving mode", which let the device eke out a day of life when its battery fell below 10%.

As a result, Samsung's market share slipped from 31% in 2013 to 24.5% last year, according to research firm IDC.

The price of the new handsets has yet to be announced, but Mr Wood thought the S6 Edge in particular could mark a turning point.

"In a sea of sameness where nearly every smartphone is a rectangular touchscreen with a camera in the back, this will stand out," he said.

"It may be outside many people's budgets, but it will still act as a signature product that attracts people to the rest of Samsung's range."

Analysis - Dave Lee, Barcelona

It charges faster than the new iPhone. It has better cameras than the iPhone. The video quality is higher than the new iPhone.

And it doesn't bend.

That's the takeaway from Samsung's latest Unpacked event where it unveiled the next Galaxy phone, the S6.

Sleek and powerful, certainly - but it was a fairly bitter presentation. The firm took more than a few snipes at Apple, rather than leaving it to reviewers and users to draw their own conclusions about the Galaxy's many innovations .

The demonstrations of like-for-like pictures and video appeared to put the S6 streets ahead of the iPhone 6, but I imagine Apple would dispute the conditions.

Tellingly, there was no mention of China's Xiaomi - a company whose Android handsets have proved wildly popular in Asia, and which potentially presents a far bigger threat to Samsung's future.

You can follow Dave at MWC via his Twitter account @daveleeBBC.

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HTC apologises for Half-life comment

3 March 2015 Last updated at 14:05 By Dave Lee and Leo Kelion Technology reporters

HTC's chairwoman has apologised for suggesting a Half-life video game was being developed for her firm's virtual reality helmet.

Cher Wang told the BBC on Monday that HTC was "co-operating with Half-life".

The lauded video game's creator Valve co-developed the VR headset, so Ms Wang's comment fuelled expectations that a new game in the franchise was being made.

However, the BBC later learned that Valve had been surprised by the claim.

A source close to the US company indicated that it was not in fact working on a virtual reality Half-life game at this time, and believed Ms Wang must have been confused.

Ms Wang has since provided further clarification.

"Regarding my BBC interview with Dave Lee yesterday, I would like to apologise for any confusion caused when I referred to individual games titles," she said.

"In response to a question on specific games, I misspoke when I referred to our working together with Valve on a particular game, when instead I meant our collaboration with Valve on developing next-generation virtual reality experiences for gaming.

"I am very excited about the work we are doing with Valve, and look forward to bringing our HTC Vive to market later this year."

Transcript of the original interview:

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WATCH: Cher Wang spoke to Dave Lee at the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona

BBC: One of Valve's most famous games is the Half-life series, and I know there are millions and millions of gamers that are desperate for a new Half-life game to come out. Is the new Half-life going to be on the virtual-reality headset? Is that what Valve is going to do with this machine?

Cher Wang: I think Valve's best game is Dota, right, and Portal and [Team Fortress] and I think they are very keen to have them.

BBC: But how about Half-life - is that going to be on there?

Cher Wang: We are co-operating with Half-life, and I think... I hope, you know, it will be on it.

The wait continues

Half-life and its sequel Half-life 2 are sci-fi action titles set in a future in which an experiment goes wrong, resulting in aliens taking over the planet.

Players control the main protagonist, Dr Gordon Freeman, who resists the invasion.

Valve made two add-on episodes for Half-life 2, the last of which was released in 2007

The last instalment ended on a cliff-hanger, and Valve co-founder Gabe Newell hinted at the time that the story would be continued.

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WATCH: HTC's headset surprised attendees at its Mobile World Congress press conference

Despite strong sales and high review scores, Valve opted not to release further chapters. Rumours that it had instead decided to work on a third core title - Half-Life 3 - have since taken on a near-mythical status.

Valve is expected to provide more details about its virtual reality platform at a presentation at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco later.

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Ikea debuts phone-charging furniture

2 March 2015 Last updated at 12:44 By Zoe Kleinman Technology reporter, BBC News

Furniture giant Ikea has unveiled a range of furniture fitted with wireless charging spots for mobile devices.

The Home Smart range will initially include lamps, bedside tables and a coffee table as well as individual charging pads for any surface.

Ikea has used the wireless charging standard QI, which is also supported by Samsung in its latest handset, the S6.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth urged caution over the recyclability of such products.

The Swedish furniture firm will sell charging covers for incompatible iPhone and Samsung models.

There are currently more than 80 QI-compatible handsets and 15 QI-enabled cars on the market according to QI's backers the Wireless Power Consortium, an industry body whose members includes Belkin, Motorola, Panasonic and Sony.

Multiple choice

However it is not the only charging standard in development.

The S6 will also be compatible with PMA, a rival wireless charger solution provided by the Power Matters Alliance, whose members include Starbucks, Duracell Powermat, Huawei and Lenovo.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in January a firm called Energous demonstrated WattUp, a non-inductive system which it claims can charge gadgets that lie in a 9m (30ft) radius around the charger.

Green goal

Environmentalists said they hoped recycling was a priority for designers incorporating wireless charging equipment into their work.

"A key principle that manufacturers of furniture with built-in wireless charging technology should consider is that the furniture is designed to be easy to disassemble for upgrade, reuse, repair or recycling," Julian Kirby, resource use campaigner at Friends of the Earth, told the BBC.

"Disposable electric toothbrushes are one example of a terrible product design in those respects - it's virtually impossible to separate out the tech from the batteries and plastic casing which means valuable and often toxic materials are dumped in landfill or burnt in incinerators."

Ikea said in a statement that its wireless charging products are "easy to fraction at end of life".

"By adding wireless charging to home and office furniture, we minimise the amount of separate chargers needed," it added.

Hot stuff

Additionally some existing users have reported on forums that their devices get hot while charging wirelessly.

"The wireless charging standards are evolving," said Ian Fogg from analysts IHS.

"The industry has no incentive to allow devices to go hot because it means the charging isn't as efficient as it might be.

"If a device gets hot, power is being lost through heat rather than being efficiently added to the battery."

The Ikea range will go on sale in the UK and North America in April 2015, the firm said.

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Sony and Microsoft focus on price

2 March 2015 Last updated at 08:02 By Leo Kelion Technology desk editor

Sony and Microsoft have opted to unveil mid-range smartphones at the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona.

Microsoft indicated it would wait until the release of Windows 10 to announce a new flagship, despite its high-end Lumia 930 dating back to April 2014.

Sony's Xperia Z3 is less old, having launched in September. But the firm had previously refreshed its top model roughly once every six months.

Sony said its focus was on "broadening its customer base" at this time.

The companies' decisions to leave more high-profile launches until later has one immediate benefit: the flagships do not risk being overshadowed by Samsung's Galaxy S6, which was unveiled on Sunday evening.

Even so, one expert said the importance of the fast-growing mid-range market should not be underestimated.

"It's much harder to win over people at the high-end than the mid-tier, and it costs more money to do so, especially if you're not one of the top few handset brands," said Carolina Milanese, chief of research at KWP ComTech.

"In the mid-tier there's also less loyalty - consumers switch around more - so there's a bigger proportion of the market to go after.

"And it's easier to demonstrate value, by offering a different balance of price and features.

"But the challenge is that you are competing with more firms and some of them are pretty ruthless when it comes to price."

LG, Motorola and ZTE also unveiled new mid-range smartphones in the days leading up to MWC.

Bundled Office

Microsoft is adding two models to its line-up, both of which run Windows Phone 8.1 and will be upgradeable to Windows 10 when it is released later this year.

The Lumia 640 offers owners both 4G data connectivity and ability to fit two Sim cards at once - a popular feature in India, where users often switch network provider when crossing states to get a better rate.

The phone's 5in (12.7cm) screen is bigger and higher resolution than the Lumia 635 it supersedes. It also gains a higher quality eight megapixel camera and an NFC (near field communication) chip for wireless payments and cordless connections to other kit.

The other new model, the Lumia 640 XL, has a bigger 5.7in (14.5cm) screen and a 13-megapixel camera. Both are being bundled with a one-year subscription to Microsoft's Office 365 productivity software suite, including access for an additional PC and tablet.

They will range in cost between €139 ($155; £100) and €219 ($245; £160), depending on the specification.

Shrinking appeal?

The Windows Phone platform saw its market share shrink from 3.3% to 2.7% last year, according to recently published figures.

The forthcoming launch of Windows 10 will allow a single app to run across Windows PCs, tablets and phones, rather than having different ecosystems.

Microsoft marketing director Neil Broadley said it would present a "tremendous opportunity" to attract new users.

But one expert said that delaying the release of a new flagship until that point might be misguided.

"The risk is that if Microsoft doesn't release a new flagship soon, its top-end hardware is going to look very old," said Ian Fogg, head of the mobile at the IHS Technology consultancy.

"Having a good flagship can have a halo effect, attracting people to the rest of the range.

"The new phones are upgradeable to Windows 10 anyway, so the fact the operating system is not out yet shouldn't deter Microsoft from releasing a new flagship now."

Budget cuts

Sony announced a policy change last month, saying that it was going to limit investment in its smartphone line-up as part of efforts to return to profit.

The Japanese firm's chief executive, Kazuo Hirai, added that he might later consider "an exit strategy" from mobile phones altogether, though he said no such plan was currently in the works.

Releasing the Xperia M4 Aqua may therefore fit Sony's mobile unit better than releasing another tent-pole device packed with expensive new technologies so soon after the last.

The 5in (12.7cm) phone's distinguishing features, all shared with one or more other pieces of Sony kit, include:

• A 13MP main camera and a 5MP front one
• Up to two days of normal use between charges, thanks in part to a relatively large 2,400mAh battery
• Waterproofing to depths of 1.5m (4.9ft) for up to 30 minutes, with a capless microUSB port

It will cost about €300 when it goes on sale.

Sony has also announced a new tablet, the Xperia Z4

At 6.1mm (0.24in) thick, it said it was the thinnest 10in (25.4cm) such device on the market.

Dell has a slightly thinner, but smaller model.

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Xiaomi launches cheap action camera

2 March 2015 Last updated at 12:22

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has launched a cheap action camera that costs only 399 yuan (£41).

The Yi Action Camera shoots video in 1080 high-definition, has a 16 megapixel camera and a wide-angle lens.

The device can also be used to make time-lapse films and is waterproof to depths of 40m.

The gadget could provide competition for Go Pro whose entry-level devices cost more than twice as much but are not as well equipped.

The device can be paired with a smartphone so it can be controlled remotely and to help share any video or images it captures.

However, available accessories for the Yi suggest it is more designed for domestic use than for people keen to film themselves taking part in extreme sports. So far, extras for the Yi include a selfie stick and a harness that allows it to be attached to a helmet, bike or even a cat.

In addition, the Yi's case is not toughened to withstand the knocks common when cameras are used outdoors or for sports.

The device is currently only available in China but Xiaomi is planning to open an online store that will let people outside the country buy some of its products directly.

Stuart Miles, founder of gadget site Pocket-lint, said the device was entering a market that was full of Go Pro "wannabes" and could struggle to find buyers.

"Go Pro has brilliant traction within the action junkie audience, and more importantly its devices work amazingly whether that's being attached to someone going for a run or jumping out of a spaceship," he said.

"That loyalty isn't something that can be replaced with a cheaper price," he added.

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Plane battery ban over safety concern

3 March 2015 Last updated at 13:13

United Airlines has become the second major US airline to announce it will no longer carry bulk shipments of lithium-ion batteries.

Delta Airlines stopped bulk shipments of the batteries in February.

Aviation officials believe lithium-ion batteries contributed to fires that destroyed two Boeing 747 cargo planes, killing all four crew members.

Federal Aviation Administration tests found overheating batteries could cause major fires.

In its tests, the FAA filled a cargo container with 5,000 lithium-ion batteries and a cartridge heater, which was added to simulate a single battery overheating.

The heat from the cartridge triggered a chain reaction in other batteries, with temperatures reaching about 600C.

This was followed by an explosion, which blew open the container door and set the cargo box on fire.

A second test, some months later, produced similar results, despite the addition of a fire-suppression agent.

"Our primary concerns when transporting dangerous goods are the safety of our customers, our customers' shipments and the environment," United Airlines said in a statement.

Plane crashes

Experts think that batteries have contributed to several cargo plane fires in recent years.

In 2010, a Boeing 747 cargo plane operated by UPS Airlines developed an in-flight fire and crashed in an unpopulated area in Dubai. Both crew members were killed.

In the subsequent investigation, the FAA highlighted the fact that a large quantity of lithium-ion batteries had been on board.

In 2011, an Asiana Airlines cargo plane carrying 880lb (400kg) of lithium batteries crashed into the Korea Strait, killing both crew members.

The cause of the fire was never determined, but the International Civil Aviation Organisation did recommend new safety standards for the carriage of such batteries.

And back in 2006, a UPS cargo plane made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport, following a fire. In that case, all crew members escaped unharmed.

The cause of the fire was never determined, but the recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board included advice about the transport of lithium-ion batteries.

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was also reported to have been carrying 440lb of lithium-ion batteries in its cargo, adding yet another theory to the mystery surrounding its disappearance last year.

New rules

The increasing focus on battery safety will put pressure on other airlines to follow suit, as well as on the technology industry to come up with safer ways of transporting them.

Lithium-ion batteries power mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices. An estimated 4.8 billion lithium-ion cells were manufactured in 2013 and production is forecast to reach eight billion by 2025.

Shipments of rechargeable batteries on passenger planes are supposed to be limited to no more than a handful in a single box, under safety standards set by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation.

But a loophole permits many small boxes to be packed into one shipment, meaning that thousands of the batteries may be packed into pallets and loaded into the cargo holds of passenger planes.

No cargo fires aboard passenger airlines have been attributed to batteries.

American Airlines stopped accepting some types of lithium-ion battery shipments in February. It continues to accept small packages of batteries grouped together or packed into a single cargo container. But this has raised safety concerns because of the large number of batteries in one container.

FAA tests also revealed that lithium-metal batteries, which are not rechargeable and power devices such as cameras and calculators, could catch fire much faster than other versions.

The UN banned shipments of these batteries on passenger planes last year, and the ban came into effect in January.

About 10% of the 2.5 billion lithium-metal batteries manufactured annually are shipped by air.

Lithium-ion batteries are far more frequently shipped by air.

All three US airlines will continue to accept shipments when the batteries are packed inside or with equipment such as laptops or power tools.

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Blackberry Leap targets go-getters

3 March 2015 Last updated at 13:40

Blackberry has announced a touch-screen phone without physical keys, at the Mobile World Congress trade show.

The Blackberry Leap is not the company's first all-touch phone - but it may come as a surprise, since its chief executive said last March his focus was going to be "very keyboard-centric".

The Canadian company has also revealed it is bringing more of its software to rival platforms.

Sales of Blackberry phones are falling.

The company shipped 7.9 million devices last year, according to research firm Gartner.

That was a big drop on 2013's figure of 18.6 million units, which in turn was well down on 2011's tally of 51.5 million handsets.

A separate study by research company eMarketer indicates the number of UK-based Blackberry users is set to dip to 700,000 this year, having been as high as 2.5 million in 2013.

Crowded market

Blackberry's Leap runs on its proprietary 10.3.1 operating system and features:

• a 5in (12.7cm) display
• 720p HD resolution
• an eight megapixel rear camera
• 16GB of internal storage
• a micro-SD card slot
• built-in anti-malware protection

The specifications place it firmly as a mid-range, rather than premium, handset.

Blackberry says it believes the phone will appeal to "career-building" young professionals and businesses that value security and privacy.

But one expert thought the device might struggle to find a market, bearing in mind Microsoft, LG, Motorola and Sony were among other companies to have released rival mid-range phones over recent days, adding to an already crowded market.

"Looking at how Blackberry sales have fallen off a cliff, it seems to me difficult to see how it will come back from that, particularly when you're at an event like Mobile World Congress and seeing so many other mid-range, middle-of-the-road handsets," said eMarketer analyst Bill Fisher.

"Blackberry is not doing enough to differentiate itself at a time [when] we're seeing a plethora of such phones in this space."

Ben Wood, from the CCS Insight consultancy, was only slightly more positive.

"Blackberry will find it tough to compete with the iPhone and Android devices, but the Leap will be essential to offer a more rounded portfolio of phones," he said.

Blackberry also briefly teased a more distinctive device at its press conference - a curved-screened phone with a keyboard that slides out from below its screen. However, it did not name the model or provide further details.

Software bundles

The other part of Blackberry's strategy is to provide access to its services to rival platforms.

The company announced it would offer three new different bundles of services - called Experience Suites - for a fee, to iOS, Android and Windows Phone handsets.

These provide access to its calendar, secure email, Universal Search, password management and virtual-keyboard tools, among others.

"[Customers] want Blackberry's legendary security and core productivity and collaboration capabilities while still being able to choose a device that matches their lifestyle and personality," said the company's chief executive John Chen.

The pitch comes at a time when Google, Microsoft and Apple are touting their own apps and services as being business-friendly. But one expert said the Blackberry Experience Suites could prove popular.

"There's definitely still a demand and fondness from the business community for Blackberry products," said Chris Green, from the Davies Murphy Group consultancy.

"You can't underestimate how much the business world likes the Blackberry platform, so doing more to integrate it with their back-end systems to run apps on other devices will go down well."

Mr Fisher added that it might even bring some users back to the company's own phones.

"Blackberry's software is good, so potentially there could be a halo effect if people see they like the apps and are then attracted back to the hardware," he said.

"There's money to be made in software, but if you can monetise that in your own operating software and hardware, there's even more to be earned.

"But is it too late for that [for Blackberry]? Possibly."

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Ford launches e-bikes at mobile show

3 March 2015 Last updated at 14:54

Motor company Ford has launched electric bicycles at Mobile World Congress, as part of its plans to extend its footprint beyond cars.

Increasingly car manufacturers are looking to new ways to make money with many developing so-called smart transportation systems.

Ford's e-bikes come in two flavours - one for use by commuters and one as a commercial bike for couriers.

Both are linked to a smartphone app that provides step-by-step navigation.

The experiment with e-bikes is part of Ford's smart mobility plan - it is keen to study how such bicycles integrate with cars and public transport.

"There are so many ways to get around a city, but what is really needed is a way to connect all of these transport options together," said Ken Washington, vice president of Ford Research and Advanced Engineering.

"Being able to seamlessly move between cars, buses, trains and e-bikes and react to changing traffic situations can make a big difference both for commuters and for those delivering goods, services and healthcare."

Traffic problems and overly long commutes have been proved to have a significant economic and social impact on cities. According to the European Commission, congestion within the European Union costs about 100bn euros each year.

A study by the UK's Office for National Statistics found that each minute added to a commute affects anxiety, happiness and general well-being among commuters.

Both Ford's e-bikes are equipped with a 200-watt motor with a 9-amp-hour battery that provides electric pedal assistance for speeds of up to 25km/h (15mph). Both can also be folded.

Rear-facing sensors offer riders an alert system that warns the cyclist when a vehicle is overtaking by vibrating both handlebars. Sensors also alert motorists to the presence of the e-bike by lighting up the handlebars.

An app - currently only available on the iPhone 6 - provides step-by-step navigation - it plans an entire route for commuters, from driving to a train station to taking a train and completing a journey via an e-bike. It also offers information about the routes - so if a train service in cancelled it may offer an alternative method of transport.

It also provides navigation for riders, via a Bluetooth headset that uses haptic touch technology to notify the rider of whether to turn left or right.

David Bailey, professor of industrial strategy at the Aston Business School believes that e-bikes are going to become popular in cities.

"A lot of city authorities are concerned about pollution so we will see more e-bikes around," he said.

But he is less convinced that the e-bike revolution will be led by car manufacturers.

"There are a few companies already doing it. They are trying to show they are environmentally friendly but also, in some cities, it is no longer possible to drive to the centre of town in a car."

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